Vikings’ Sneaky Need Can Be Remedied Late in the Draft
The Vikings have a total of just under $90 million invested into their tight end room if you go by the face value of the T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver contracts. Yet, they are still a bit needy when it comes to the tight end position, considering they only have those two under contract.
Of course, Hockenson and Oliver are TE1 and TE2, respectively, but we’re all aware that Oliver isn’t the typical pass-catching TE2 that the Vikings could use greatly to complement Hockenson. The Vikings do think highly of Oliver, but he is now in the final year of his 3-year/$21 million deal he signed in 2023, and it’s hard to say he’s been worth that large investment.
Yes, Oliver is known for his run-blocking prowess, but a $7 million AAV for a blocking-centric tight end in an offense built around throwing the ball? It’s kind of tough to say you want to re-up on that if that’s somehow going to be his asking price on the open market in the 2026 offseason, and it’s not like the running game has been much better with him than without him. He has totaled 44 catches for 471 yards and 5 TDs over his two seasons with the Vikings.
The Vikings were also high on former TE Johnny Mundt, who was more-or-less considered the second “pass-catching” TE option in his three seasons with the Vikings. Mundt came to the Vikings in 2022 from the Rams with Kevin O’Connell, and while he was a fan favorite, he didn’t really live up to the expectation of Kevin O’Connell calling him the “best TE3 in the league” a couple of years back.
Mundt totaled 55 catches for 454 yards and 4 TDs over his 3 seasons in the Twin Cities. He just signed a two-year/$5.5 million deal with Liam Coen and the Jaguars.
And, of course, there’s TE1, T.J. Hockenson. I’ve made my opinion clear on whether or not he’s been worth the big contract he was given and the trade capital that was sacrificed by the Vikings to acquire him, but the fact of the matter is that he is a good TE, and there isn’t too much to say about it.
The Vikings can look to the draft for a TE in the later rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft who can sit behind Oliver and Hockenson in 2025 and step up to TE2 in 2026 and beyond (beyond could mean TE1 after Hockenson’s deal ends in the last couple years of the decade).
In my opinion, the dream is BGSU’s Harold Fanin Jr. falling to the Vikings at 97. Fanin Jr. is technically undersized for an NFL TE at 6’4, 230lbs, but he is a silky route-runner who has great hands and a knack for gaining yards after the catch, as well as the versatility to play inline, in the slot, or out wide.
A more realistic option would be LSU’s Mason Taylor, the son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. He is another player who can get yardage after the catch and can go vertical in a style similar to that of T.J. Hockenson. His routes can be telegraphed a bit, and he does lack blocking prowess, but those are the kinds of players that are usually available in the later rounds.
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